IQ: Our diminishing Fourth

Time was, the Fourth of July meant parades, picnics in the park, and oooh-ing and ahhh-ing at communal fireworks. But shrinking budgets and rising costs are reducing it to another day for backyard cookouts and TV sports.

Carl Gibbs

Pleasant Valley

Med student

Is the city doing the right thing in postponing this year's fireworks display? They should find a way to keep it. It's such a great patriotic and community tradition.

If you could put on the Independence Day celebration of your choice, what would yours be? An old-fashioned block party with fireworks and barbecuing.

Describe the ideal Fourth of July. The one I'm having. My son and mother are coming in from North Carolina, and my uncle's coming in from New Jersey.

Paul Montville

Manitou Springs

Nonprofit executive director

What's your best memory of the Fourth? Watching fireworks go off over Long Island Sound as a kid in New England.

If you could put on a community celebration, what would yours include? It'd be exactly like the one we have in Manitou every year.

Describe your ideal Fourth of July. Good weather, grilling with my family on the deck, then walking into downtown to watch fireworks and hang with the locals.

Jennifer Shields

West side

Therapist

What's your favorite thing about the Fourth? Not having to work.

If you could set up a community celebration, what would yours be? Have a giant fireworks show and make sure home-bound elderly people could attend it.

Do you agree with the city's decision to forego public fireworks? There are ways they could do it. They find funds for other things.

Will you celebrate at home? Our family has four birthdays in July, so we're having a one-size-fits-all party on the Fourth.

Steve Holsenbeck

Cedar Heights

Doctor

What's your most memorable Fourth of July? My first one living in Cedar Heights, watching fireworks displays at five different locations simultaneously.

What makes for an ideal Fourth? One with no wars going on anywhere.

If you held a community celebration, what would yours be like? Fireworks and cookouts are probably the way to go. I don't like big crowds, though.

Is the city right, not having fireworks? I'd rather the parks get watered so people could enjoy them all summer than to have that amount spent on one evening of fireworks.